Hikaru No Go: Kai-Sai
by Kaisakka
Summary: Hikaru got into a coma when Sai disappeared. He woke up months later... but Hikaru wasn't the same since. In fact, he seemed a different person from before. Rated T. On-Going.
1. Farewell - Hikaru And Sai

_I do not own Hikaru No Go or any of its characters_

**Farewell – Hikaru and Sai**

Satisfaction rained down, glistened the shining world of Sai Fujiwara. World created within the Internet Go where he defeated his strongest opponent. He defeated Kouyo Touya, owner of four major titles and number 1 go player of Japan. He marvelled at this victory, rejoiced not only by defeating Touya Meijin, but with the brilliant stars they both shaped, formed a magnificent universe.

Sai drowned into his glory, almost, until his attention was grabbed by a little voice in front of him, the kid from two years ago. The same kid that showed him the radiance of the current world, its beauty and its love for go, Hikaru Shindo. "He would have gotten an advantage if he played his hand in the corner instead of connecting."

For a moment, he thought that it was indeed a brilliant game, seen through to the end by both him and Koyo, but he was wrong. Hikaru found a way for black, Koya Toya, to win and it astonished him, delighted him, made him proud as his Go master, but at the same time aroused the jealousy inside him.

The future in front of Hikaru was endless and pain took hold of his soul while image of the future where he wasn't needed was shown to him.

It took a while but Sai made peace with it, his purpose, and it was to show Hikaru, his path, this match. It has been his only purpose all the while and with that fulfilled. He felt it. The sands of time began to trickle down. The frozen hourglass has been melted. His limited existence started to fade; he felt it and confirmed it in the shed where they first met.

Hikaru saw it too, on the go board in the shed where they first met. The stain that no cloth was able to wipe off started to fade and Sai knew then that his existence would follow soon and so he must hurry. Every night and any chance he asked Shindo to play with him. He got angry at one point, derided Hikaru for a bad move. He wasn't playing wholeheartedly. He has to. He needed him to take every single stone as though they were his lasts because that's how it was for him. It became a big fight between them and the game was left unfinished.

"Sorry Hikaru, let's play… let's continue. " Sai apologized, swallowed his pride again, for his sake, so not to waste a single second but he ignored him. His eyes were heavy, and his body exhausted that he failed to hear him, his last words for him. It would have been different if he did,"… thank you Hikaru. It was fun."

Nightfall came, delivered its gift to the sleeping households, and Hikaru got himself his share, a dream, a peculiar one at that. He saw a kid, younger than him, in front of a magnificently made go board dyed in red, glistening brightly in his eyes. Hikaru tried talking to the kid but he didn't answer. His voice was unheard like the wind that brushed his silky hair. He walked away towards the light, on another corner, and entered a door opposite the boy but Hikaru always found himself beside the kid, listening to his voice, his stones and qualms, and imagined himself that way while Sai listen on the side. He missed him. He saw people talking to the boy, paying him great respect, but he failed to understand their words.

"What the- I want to wake up now!" he yelled but nothing happened, hours, days, years passed by and Hikaru was forced to watch over the go matches of the child but when he reached his teens, the boy started to resemble a friend. He began to resemble Sai Fujiwara.

_Did we switch places, Sai? _He asked the heavens but no one answered except for the monotonous voice of the stones placed on top of the go board. Days continued to show Hikaru the universe of Go under its creator, Sai Fujiwara, each stones on top of the Go board shines, but each time he placed a new, the stones shines even brighter.

_Sai is truly a genius. _He knew that from the very first game he played, against Touya, but today he was watching the game of Sai against another instructor inside the palace. He heard this story from Sai many times but he didn't pay much attention to it.

Sai gained a slight advantage, but still he played seriously, carefully, and that was why he saw it, the stone maliciously placed by his opponent to regain his territory over the go board. Nobody saw it, as the court officials were focused too much on the Go board, but he did.

_What? No Sai, let it go, you can win this back. _Hikaru tried to stop Sai, he would regain that loss either way but Hikaru knew what would happen next and he was most afraid of it. He experienced the same. His fear came about and the confused, distorted face of Sai when his opponent slandered him threw the court in chaos. The King and his retainers were furious that such an act would happen in front of the throne, no one wanted to believe it for a second, and with one command from the King, the game continued.

But Sai had lost his focus. Thought of the shame attached to his name and family pulled his mind, weakened his resolve. Mistake was made and Sai lost his game and his honor, his pride, and he was banished from the palace grounds. Shunned by his family, his friends, his King, Sai was left with nothing. With the moon as his witness, in the midst of the empty lake, he cried his sadness, his disappointment, until his sullied soul lost its footing.

_Sai, Sai… _Hikaru kept calling his name and extended his hand, hoping it would reach the bottom where his hand would be. Their fingertips touched and he saw his face, filled with despair, crumpled with sadness, but he failed to grab him out… until Sai disappeared in the void.

Sai was nowhere. Hikaru dove in deeper but he was nowhere to be found. His extended hand gnawed on his chest, there was pain coming, shooting from inside, he was alone. He looked around but there was only darkness on his side and on his feet, it scared him. A voice was calling to him but he couldn't hear it. The water around was cold and it was enough to freeze his despaired heart and mind.

"Hikaru! You cannot stay there… come out… Sai, Sai is, Sai is..." Hikaru heard him. His desperate voice rolling in his ears, but he knew the truth. He made it his truth.

_Sai is in this lake…and I will wait here for Sai._


	2. First Game – Hikaru and Shinichiro

**First Game – Hikaru and Shinichiro**

Each kiss of the stones on the Goban board created a non-orchestrated form of music, of no rhythm or synchrony yet the hands of the Go-pro danced on this unorganized tune that echoed on the competition hall, and produced a new universe for that day. Such was the unique universe created by Akira Touya.

He stood victorious, and went forward to Aishindo Hospital after he marked his win, and offered thanks to his opponent. It hasn't been long since his last visit to the hospital after his father's sudden incident and now he was back for a friend. He hurried to the room, opened the door and found Hikaru unconscious over the bed.

"Are you… friend of Hikaru?" Hikaru Shindo's vexed mother greeted him. Akira offered the basket of fruit he has in hand. He was notified this afternoon after his match of what happened to Hikaru but looking at him now, fast asleep, him being sick was like a joke. Only his eyes remained close the entire time he was there.

"We still don't know … our Hikaru in coma…" her tears finally dripped down. Her only shoulder of support was that of her husband, and the hand tapping on her back from her father-in-law, Heihachi Shindo. It was a painful gathering of family members, one that Akira didn't have the heart to see.

Waya and Ochi soon followed, Hikaru's friends since his insei days, in time to witness Akira offered gratitude, bowed his head, and held it long enough to hide his saddened eyes, and wished the family Hikaru's quick recovery.

After school, Akari together with Mitani, Kaneko and their classmates and club members visited Shindo as well. It somehow lightened the sadness in the heart of Hikaru's family to see their son so loved by his friends and colleagues but no matter how many voice called for Hikaru. He didn't respond. Not one word. Not a slight movement.

Doctor said they found nothing wrong yet. And that they were doing all they can to figure it out but so far, their efforts were unproductive.

"Stop congressing and do something for my Hikaru. Please…" Heihachi pleaded.

Not a bat of an eye or a sudden shiver on his fingertips, Hikaru remained asleep silently. His friends from the Go Salon he frequented came as well, Kawai-san sobbed in the corner, but none of those events captured his attention. Nothing mattered.

Days came in and out of their door, but Hikaru Shindo remained still, unmoved by the changing atmosphere, by the people who extended their hands, but if there was anything that helped them get through each day, it was the serene expression on his face. He was like a prince asleep waiting for the princess.

But still not one day passed by without his parents praying for his return, that Hikaru would one day woke up with a smile on his face, and promised that he'd never go away without a word again.

Time froze for Hikaru akin to the deep water of the lake where Sai Fujiwara drowned himself, but the hourglass of the world continued to flow ceaselessly, without limitation, without care, pouring over its grains of hope, on the land, in and out of the sea, and before long two rigid months has passed.

Waiting outside the food chain, Waya's eyes gobbled at the newly arrived acquaintance, Isumi, a senpai from his Insei. "Isumi-san, you didn't change at all. If you'd grown a beard you'd have that 'back-from-training' look!"

"I was surprised when you called, so how was China?" Waya excitedly probed on his friend, eager to hear his stories, about China, and the strong players he faced while in their care. Isumi was amazed though, that he didn't pay much attention to what Waya was saying.

He simply blurted out and called Waya, "Le-Ping! You grew up."

"So that's what happened." Waya understood after further explanation from Isumi, there were too much detail though, but he somehow got where Le-Ping came in.

"Anyway, how was Shindo?" Isumi asked.

"He was discharged two weeks ago but…" there was a worried pause in Waya's voice, Isumi took notice of that in-between his exasperated sigh. "…something's different about him. I don't know. I can't really understand that guy. "

"What do you mean?" Like a loyal minion, Waya elaborated the changes he noticed in Hikaru was like summer to winter.

"Sensei said he's probably still recovering… but he looks fine during our go sessions then he forfeited his supposed first game. I just hope he goes to his next game."

(Ding! Dong!)

"Sorry for coming in without notice." Isumi lowered his head to Hikaru's mother, Mitsuko Shindo. It was a normal household but it explained where Hikaru got his cheerfulness. It surprised him to hear that Hikaru attended school immediately but his mother explained that he was probably worried over his health as well. "I can wait in…"

"No, you can wait in his room. I'll bring in tea." She said.

It quickly caught Isumi's attention, the goban board on the side of the bed, it surprised him again that it wasn't collecting any dust. "He must've played immediately after his release._"_

"Isumi-san!" Collected voice gently opened the door with a pair of cold iced tea on his hand, it was Hikaru. He placed it carefully on the floor, took his bag beside the bed, and sat comfortably. He asked Isumi about his trip to China, the latter obliged him, told him about Le-Ping and his resemblance to Waya and before the conversation grew out of hand, he asked him the obvious.

"Anyway Hikaru, how are you feeling? I heard from Waya… That you aren't playing your games seriously... You have one tomorrow right?"

He took out a Weekly-Go journal from his bag and showed it Shindo, particularly the part about Akira Touya, his proclaimed rival. "Touya 3-dan. Amazing."

"Amazing? Is that it? Don't you feel at least jealous of him?" Isumi offered his friend time to think but it got him nothing, Hikaru simply crossed his arm without a word, and looked at him with a vague grin. "Now I know why Waya said you were acting weird. You don't even look sick so why did you forfeit your first return game?"

"Heh… Isumi-san, how about we play a game." Hikaru proposed.

"Ah… yeah…" that sudden request silenced Isumi. He didn't expect it. He's been itching to ask him about it since he came in. He took the goban out and asked Hikaru to nigiri, to determine black and white. "I was planning on playing a game with you in the first place."

"This is nice…" Shindo took a deep breath, filled himself with courage to the brim, strengthened his mind to its capacity, and looked at the goban with immeasurable confidence. He gave Isumi a last glance, took a black stone, and struck the board to show his resolve.

"Isumi-san…" he stared at him. His eyes scorched with anticipation. "… let's continue that game a year ago."

It was a match of passion rooted from their game a year ago, their desire to win from that game was ignited with a renewed flame, enough to create a go board to be proud of. Their will reverberated with each stone, strengthened, enhanced on each hand. Isumi saw his hand getting stronger but it was a trap sent by Shindo underneath another trap and though he realized it. It was too late; Isumi has been surrounded by the black's thick territory. _"Is this really Shindo… I can't believe this, and Waya thinks he's playing around."_


End file.
